Learn about the city of Alexandria and the Canopic Way.
After conquering Egypt in 331 BCE, Alexander the Great decided to build a new city, which, as per his habit, he named after himself.
After his death, Alexandria quickly became the capital city of the Ptolemaic kingdom, and the most importantly city of the Greek world.
The city was built between the Mediterranean sea and the Lake Mareotis, which resulted in Alexandria becoming a crucial cultural hub and trading center.
Sumptuous buuildings could be seen wherever one turned their gaze: the royal palaces, the many temples, the gymnasium, lush public gardens, and large avenues.
With its incomparable beauty and advantageous geographic location, Alexandria attracted foreigners, intellectuals and traders.
One of the most cosmopolitan city of the ancient world, Alexandria supplanted even Athens as the most important Greek city in history.
Egyptian obelisks were highly prized by Roman architects. While Roman design previously favored use of a single monument, Egyptian obelisks tended to come in pairs and were generally located at the entrance of temples.
Several ancient Egyptian obelisks are still in existence today, though many are spread out across the world in locations such as Paris, Rome, New York and London.
All of this shows that Alexandria was significantly influenced by the rich past of Egypt.
Alexandria had several main streets. lts most famous artery was the Canopic Way.
It was lined with sumptuous buildings, houses and temples and was roughly 8 kilometers in length.
This street was one of the most important shipping entrances to Alexandria, and often hosted processions and festivals.
The width of the street, 30 meters, was abnormally large even by Greek standards.
This is likely because Canopic Way was made in a short span of time and based on an urban plan, as opposed to being slowly built over time as was usual for the era.
The Canopic Way originated in the western cemeteries, skirted the gymnasium, and then exited the city to head east through massive doorways towards Kanopos. This structure was known as the Canopic Door.